“If we don’t make mistakes daily we are not pushing the boundaries and challenging the system enough.” Antonio J. Lucio

Happy Monday everyone! Before we begin with a very interesting topic on intelligence, we want to remind you that this week is our first edition of the Round Table Series so remember to sign up and join us on Thursday from 20.00h-21.00h. You can find more information here. We really do hope to see you there!

So, this week’s blog is on how intelligent you think you are and why creativity is so important in both work and learning. More than once I have heard students tell me that it is impossible for them to learn a new language or that they were never really good at learning, or intelligent enough. To be honest, I disagree. Maybe we just need to find a different approach at learning.

I have always believed that we are all creative, every single one of us and luckily Sir Ken Robinson believes the same. Take a look below at this week’s links and see how you can become a more intelligent and creative learner.

Here are Five common mistakes when learning a foreign language. Just imagine, with a little more curiosity and less fear, you could easily go a long way

A very creative video on Ken Robinson speaking about How are you intelligent?

An easy video on Why do we need creativity?

A more advanced video by the author Elizabeth Gilbert on Your elusive (difficult) genius

And you can test your English (maybe you know more than you think you do?)

Finally, here’s a Quiz on commonly confused words in English.

Photo Source

In ode to Valentine’s day and Spring right around the corner, we thought we would dedicate this week’s post to not just the heart, but the brain as well. We all know that keeping both our hearts and brain healthy can help us live a long and happy life, so here we go.

Are you right brained or left brained? Take this test

The podcast everyone is talking about: Modern Love

Fascinating interview with Helen Fisher on her latest book The Anatomy of Love

Why do we love?

Your heart is what you eat: 18 Superfoods for your heart

And super foods for your brain. The Mediterranean diet is doing all of you well!

A video on The History of Love

The history of the  icon

And Valentine’s Day Poems for Married People

Have a lovely week!

Photo Source: ‘The Balance” …. by Christian Schloe

“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” -Eleanor Roosevelt

This year, we want to host a series of fun events that will help you feel even more comfortable with English and as I like to say, help you “step out of the box”. Our first series of events will be our Round Table Conversations or as you better know it: Tertulia.

Did you know that the literal meaning of tertulia in English is Salon which obviously does not evoke the meaning a word like Tertulia has. Therefore, we will have to call them Round Table Conversations.

We want to offer you thought and conversation provoking topics that will get you speaking and thinking at the same time! So please join us every last Thursday of the month for coffee or tea and biscuits and some stimulating talks. All levels and everyone is welcome.

As we head straight into February (is it me, or did January fly by??) Some of us have left our resolutions behind and are focused on other things, like getting your work done before Friday comes around again…

This video, talks about challenging yourself, pushing yourself to an extreme in the name of passion. Would you do it? Do you already challenge yourself to an extreme? And all at an Andante pace or slow tempo (rhythm) How, when, why?

Before we look at the video, lets go over some Wh- word questions. See if you can either construct your own questions or answer the following:

What (object, idea or action) is this person doing?

Where (place) do you think Ruth Boden is from or where is she doing this?

Why (reason–frequently answered with because) would she want to do this?

How (manner) did she get to the top? **did you know you can use many other forms of HOW to get different answers?:       How many (quantity, countable)  How much (amount price, uncountable) How long (duration, length) How often (frequency) How far (distance) How old (age)  How come (reason, similar to why)

Who (person) do you know has done something similar?

While you watch the video, ask yourself a few questions, like:

How does she compare the cello to a human?      Why does she say, “There’s no ticket stub, just a memory?”

Finally, see if you can use some of the adjectives we learned last week to describe the video. Happy watching!

https://aeon.co/videos/a-bach-cello-piece-played-atop-a-mountain-is-as-exhilarating-as-you-d-expect